16 May 1 - 7, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents juice, agave and orange bitters. As we nursed our cocktail, the room filled with glittering floor-length gowns. Elated high schoolers sat for their pre-prom dinners. Outside the window, we peered at others getting their glamour shots taken by professional photog- raphers at the inn’s most Instagrammable nooks. The bar buzzed with a steady flow of locals. Pyles isn’t re-creating the wheel at The Seeker. He’s giving Stephenville a spread of his signature dishes like the Hell’s Eggs ($10), four deviled eggs served with can- died bacon and chili pop rocks. Try SP’s honey-fried chicken ($24): the crunchy breast and thigh are accompanied by tot- style mashed potatoes. Think tater tots, but with a silky filling. The plate comes with a jar of specialty pickles good enough to eat on their own, rich brown gravy and a biscuit. Other large plates include the Forever- Braised boneless short rib ($29). The tender short rib is served with Ol’ Redneck Ched- dar Mac and Cheese — a penne-pasta-based mac served in a mini cast iron — and bacon- topped Brussels sprouts. The masa menu features sweet-leaning barbecue beef short rib tacos ($12) and espresso and maple-glazed pork belly hua- rache ($12). The standout is Pyles’ famous lobster tamale pie ($25). It’s been a long time since Dallasites have had a bite of Pyles’ lobster tamale pie. The dish is a work of art, served in a stemless martini-style glass. The presentation-for- ward dish starts with a tamale dumpling made with the aforementioned nixtamal base. A corn custard tops it. Crowning the dish is a too-pretty-to-break, ancho-chile- dusted isomalt disc bearing chunks of lob- ster, flowers and sprouts. Crack the top and let the sweet shards of isomalt crumble into the custard, adding texture to every bite. Desserts include the Heaven and Hell cake served with raspberry sorbet ($14) and the comforting warm apple-olive oil spice cake ($10). Interstate Inn and The Seeker are cele- brating their debut with six culinary weekends, two of which have passed. Up next is the Cinco de Mayo culinary week- end, May 2 to 4. It includes a two-night stay, a cooking class with Pyles in The Seeker’s Cork Room, a specialty dinner and Sunday brunch. Prices start at $1,250 per person for a double-occupancy room or $1,500 for a single. The Seeker, 809 East Road (Stephenville), Tuesday - Thursday 5 – 9 p.m.; Friday - Satur- day 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday brunch 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; Closed Monday ▼ FIRST LOOK THERE’S A NEW KFC IN TOWN THE PRADA OF KOREAN-STYLE FRIED CHICKEN.BY AAREN PRODY P uradak is a Korean powerhouse for fried chicken that debuted in 2014. This year, the brand is infiltrating Colonel Sanders’ territory with the open- ing of locations across the U.S., one of which is in Dallas. Puradak is a portmanteau of Pura (pure) and Dak, the Korean word for chicken. They’ve borrowed elements from the luxury brand Prada to disguise their fast food chicken brand as an elevated and premium dining experience. All of the Puradak locations sport mono- chrome or black-and-white interiors with gold accents and a minimalist design. Even the to-go boxes channel handbags with their matte finish and exquisite details. Does this look like a fast food chicken advertisement to you? Despite its efforts, the motto remains the same: “The Most Favorite Korean Chicken.” Puradak has 727 stores worldwide, 700 of them in Korea. One of the first U.S. locations recently opened in Carrollton, just north of Little Koreatown. Another is in Buena Park, California, and a Spring Valley, Nevada, loca- tion is coming soon. The aesthetic is flawlessly executed, as this place feels more like one of those fancy brunch spots in the suburbs than the likes of KFC or Popeyes. This is a table service spot, and every table comes with a wing disposal bucket, plastic gloves to protect your hands, a wet wipe, and small plates for sharing. Maybe it is the Prada of fast-food chicken. While everyone comes for the fried chicken, the menu also has sandwiches, rice bowls and a few sides. The photos of the bites didn’t look too promising, and when a place is so well known for one thing, you can’t help but be wary of other menu items. Exploration may be fit for an- other day. So we just chose a large order of black aglio and gimme basak (bone-in, of course) with white rice and coleslaw. Aside from the classic wings, all the other flavors are interesting: chili mayo, Corn So- Amazing, sweet and mabulro. You can order them bone-in or boneless and in three dif- ferent sizes: small, medium or large. Prices start at around $10 for the small and go up to $30 for the large, which includes one side of your choice. Korean fried chicken, commonly known as KFC these days, differs from typical fried chicken because it’s fried twice and has an ultra-crispy eggshell- thin crust with super juicy chicken on the inside rather than the thicker kind of breading you usually get. Puradak, however, employs an oven-fry- ing technique that achieves the same effect but with fewer calories. These are less greasy, but that doesn’t take away from the bold flavors. The black aglio is “fried” and tossed in a sauce combination of deep, rich soy sauce and savory, light garlic. Whole garlic cloves are also fried and served in the basket with it. They’re a sweet and savory umami bomb with an aromatic and caramelized finish. It’s almost criminal that they give you gloves be- cause you’ll want to lick your fingers after these. Gimme basak allows the crunchy exte- rior to take the spotlight. The wings are fried, sprinkled with a seaweed mixture and served with pieces of fried seaweed. The mix on top gives most of the flavor, which is nutty, salty and a little sweet. Since they’re not coated in the sauce, you can also get toasted notes from the fried skin. The experience is a little like eating a well-seasoned bowl of popcorn at the movie theater. There’s a crunchy and nutty vessel for the powdery, rich seasoning. We even dipped our black aglio wings into the fallout from these wings and it was nothing short of an upgrade. Pro tip: Order one dry wing and one saucy wing so you can eat them inter- changeably — especially with the black aglio — it helps break up the richness. Ac- cording to the menu, the Corn So-Amaz- ing and chili mayo are considered the “best” flavors. We’ll be on the prowl for those next time. Puradak Korean Premium Chicken, 3044 Old Denton Road, Monday - Thursday, 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Friday/Saturday, 11:30 a.m. - 12 a.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. Aaren Prody Yes, somehow the seaweed and chicken combo here works (and doesn’t taste like ocean). City of Ate from p15
